Authorities arrested an Augusta man accused of striking a Williston police chief and eluding police from Aiken County to Richmond County on Saturday morning.
Demarius Smith, 21, will be charged with at least two counts of assault and battery with intent to kill, according to the North Augusta Department of Public Safety.
Police say Mr. Smith was driving his Ford Explorer off the U.S. Highway 1 exit near Martintown Road in North Augusta at 12:42 a.m. when he approached a DUI checkpoint. When officers told him to stop, he drove through and toward a group of officers, the report says. Officers began firing at his vehicle.
The suspect struck Williston Police Chief Roger Kaney while fleeing, authorities say. He was treated for minor injuries at Aiken Regional Hospital and was released.
Investigators found Mr. Smith at a hotel about 1 p.m.
